Mobile electronic devices are an integral part of modern life. Notebooks, netbooks, tablet computers, smart phones and other portable devices comprise more than half of all computers produced worldwide. People use them to communicate, work, relax, and study. The memory in these devices store large amounts of personal data such as contacts, photographs, videos, authorization information, and much more. Corporate computers also contain official correspondence and documentation, which may include trade secrets. These mobile electronic devices, however, are often targets for theft or robbery in order to gain access to a computer's hard drive or to sell the computer for cash. Furthermore, portable devices are easily lost due to their size and the fact that they are constantly moved around by the user.
The current method for law enforcement to identify a device is to physically examine it to obtain the make, model, and serial number. With this information law enforcement can identify a stolen device. Physical examination of most devices, however, is extremely difficult because of Constitutional search and seizure issues. In most cases, law enforcement is only able to create a report of the theft for insurance purposes. Because there isn't a tool available to actively search for and locate devices, the nationwide recovery rate is between 3% and 6%. This low recovery rate is due to law enforcement's inability to actively search for devices which results in a public relations problem for agencies.
The present disclosure teaches how to eliminate the described deficiencies of prior art by taking a different approach.